one republic

It was a summer I will cherish for years. Memories of Portugal, Spain and a plethora of festivals/concerts/sets will never leave me. The past couple times I’ve done a songs of the summer list, I’ve only included songs from the year in question. I’ve asked different questions in 2016, so the songs herein are from whenever. Here are the songs that helped soundtrack my unforgettable summer:

30. Ryan Hemsworth – Surrounded

29. That Poppy – American Kids

28. Biffy Clyro – Friends and Enemies

27. Daughter – Doing The Right Thing/How

26. The Joy Formidable – Liana

25. One Republic – Kids

24. Ofelia K – I Love My Lawyer

23. Bob Moses – Tearing Me Up

22. The Tragically Hip – The Depression Suite

Bonus: Grimes – Go

21. Catfish and The Bottlemen – 7

20. Fidlar – Cheap Beer

19. Broods – Freak of Nature f. Tove Lo/1000x/Bedroom Door

18. Bear’s Den – Gabriel

Bonus: Wolf Alice – Soapy Water

17. Kanye – Fade/Waves/Saint Pablo

16. Glass Animals – Youth

15. Band of Horses – Casual Party

14. Gareth Emery – Reckless

13. Britney Spears – Make Me/Love Me Down

12. John Grant – Marz

11. The Chainsmokers – Roses

Bonus: The Vaccines – Post Break-Up Sex/A Lack of Understanding

10. Benjamin Francis Leftwich – Some Other Arms

Slow-tempo magic. I adore this song.

9. Dan Deacon – When I Was Done Dying

The sound of flight. Of rebirth. Of mice and men and death back then. The sound of making anew, and birds as your crew.

8. The 1975 – Loving Someone

Loving Someone really came alive as I saw the band twice this summer, thrice overall this year. The chorus is massive.

7. Marshmello – Alone

Undeniably dope, Alone is one monster dance track.

6. Hana – Clay/Underwater/White

I fell in love with Hana’s music this summer. These 3 songs are why.

5. The 1975 – A Change of Heart

It’s been several months since I first heard this track, and I cannot escape it. It remains indomitable. One of the best songs of the year, hands down.

4. Two Door Cinema Club – Cigarettes In The Theatre

When I experienced this song at Nos Alive in Lisbon, the crowd went mental. Out of the countless songs and sets I’ve heard live, this ranks at the top for/of memorable performances. An already fabulous song made immortal.

3. Jamie XX – Gosh

I threw all kinds of shapes and danced like my body was a singular fit conniption. I saw Gosh at two different festivals this summer, on back-to-back nights, in Portugal and Spain, and the music took me to another place both times. A place where my body and the beat were present, but where my mind moved to nether regions. I will never forget that transportation.

2. Villagers – Nothing Arrived (Acoustic)

I waited for something, and something died, so I waited for nothing, and nothing arrived.

1. The 1975 – You

I didn’t know You.

I heard the song live thrice this year, though it didn’t immediately clutch claws into my arm and smack me upside the head. Only on the last occasion did I get an inkling. But I didn’t really know You until…

I found You in Barcelona.

I was walking down Passeig de Sant Joan to the Arc de Triomf and the sun was grinning cheekily behind marshmallow-white clouds. I saw a man blowing soap bubbles for passers by, children rapt by the disappearing orbs, a rollerblading girl with strawberry blonde hair dressed in a black tank-top and black shorts, and I found You there.

I locked into You as my over-ear headphones carried the message. I sat and smiled, I walked and smiled, and the sounds that held my face muscles in place encouraged — necessitated — the abandonment of everything. Everything but You.

It takes a bit more. More than any or most or pretty much all other songs to do what You did.

To add marvel to the day. To forge some clarity amidst the fray. To let me see the shadows shake hands with the brightness. To take a moment. To make that moment linger. To reveal a layer or two, about me, about You.

When you’re trying to tell your friends something but they’re not listening.

Getting warmer and warmer… Some may view a song ranked 60th or 53rd and not think much of it — I don’t see it like that. All the songs I’ve listed here are impressive. It’s not easy to rank songs when they’re this good, but hey, I give ‘er anyway. Fun fun fun ’til your daddy takes the T-bird away. Top 100 Songs of 2014 (60-41):

60. Grace Mitchell – Runaway

Slow-tempo’d power pop with a fantastic chorus.

59. Banks – Beggin For Thread

When I first heard Banks a while back, I thought, nice voice and vibe, but she doesn’t have anything I’d call a good song. That’s since been rectified. “Beggin For Thread” is a beast.

58. Merely – Princess Hervor

So chilly. So atmospheric. So good.

57. Bleachers – I Wanna Get Better

Insanely catchy. Great debut single.

Bonus: Naughty Boy f. Sam Smith – La La La (from 2013)

56. Alvvays – Archie, Marry Me

Took me a little while to get into it. A fantastic song, lyrically, melodically, Canadianally.

55. Perfume Genius – Queen

Harder than anything Mike Hadreas had done previously. One of his best. Sensational chorus.

54. Royal Blood – Figure It Out

Rock ‘n Roll bliss.

53. Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud

Soulful, sunny, and downright addictive. Isn’t everything the Ginger King does golden though? Or would his jewels be rubies? Either way.

52. Eternal Death – Head

One of my favourites from early 2014.

51. Rita Ora – I Will Never Let You Down

Best song she’s yet done.

50. Grimes – Go

Took a couple listens before I truly appreciated this masterpiece of a jam. What a jam it is. For some reason, it didn’t connect with the masses like “Genesis” or “Oblivion”, but “Go” is a tune on that level. Blood Diamonds’ production is downright filthy. Love the cymbal work in the chorus.

49. The Madden Brothers – We Are Done

When I first heard this track, I had no idea which 70’s band sung it. All I could do was hum and be impressed at the massive chorus. I wondered who it was by for some time. Then one day, I found out the song wasn’t 40 years old, but brand frickin new, and by Benji and Joel from Good Charlotte?! I was floored. Good Charlotte had some decent tunes, but this is by far the best thing the Cali bros have ever released.

Bonus: One Republic – I Lived (On my HM list in 2013, left a huge mark in 2014 also.)

48. Tei Shi – Bassically

It builds and builds and builds and builds. One of the sexiest pop songs of the year.

47. 5 Seconds of Summer – She Looks So Perfect

No escaping a chorus that huge.

46. Tove Lo – Over

Oh Sweden. How many times do you win me over in a given year with your mastery of pop music? I can’t count that high.

45. Hozier – Like Real People Do

Full discl-hozier, this is my favourite song from the Irish lad. Great lyrics. Fantastic melody.

44. The Griswolds – Beware The Dog

So sunny. So gitchy. So good. One of the best sing-a-long songs of the year.

Bonus: The Griswolds – Red Tuxedo

43. Rudimental f. Emeli Sande – Free

Rudimental lays down a pulsating beat, over which Emeli Sande shines. This song never gets old.

42. Enrique Iglesias f. Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona – Bailando

Best song Enrique’s done in at least 10 years, if not ever. I had no reason to believe he’d ever be associated with a song of such quality. This tune is pure bliss. I can feel the warmth of summer when I listen to this song. That’s an amazing quality to possess.